The fast-food behemoth has pulled the plug on its internal employee Web site after it was outed for urging workers to avoid the very kind of fare they serve.

“A combination of factors has led us to re-evaluate and we’ve directed the vendor to take down the Web site,” the company said in explaining the demise of its McResource site.

The site’s latest fiasco was a list of diet suggestions.

“Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking,” it said — but then added, “While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt and may put people at risk for becoming overweight.”

The Web site drew criticism earlier this year when it published a sample budget for employees that required them to get a second job in order to make ends meet, advised them to get out of debt by selling their possessions on eBay and by eating less — and suggested how they should tip their nannies, housekeepers and pool cleaners for the holidays.

McDonald’s has been under pressure from labor groups and congressional Democrats to give raises to their employees, many of whom earn minimum wage.

Earlier this week, McDonald’s downplayed the latest brouhaha, when it was discovered that the site praised a submarine sandwich and salad — typical fare served by arch-rival Subway — as a healthier choice than a burger and fries.

“It is hard to eat a healthy diet when you eat at fast-food restaurants often,” according to a posting on the site. “In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be very careful about choosing fast food because of its high fat, salt, and sugar levels.”

When critics savaged the site, McDonald’s said, “Portions of this website continue to be taken entirely out of context.”

“The site did not advise against eating fast food; rather it provided counsel on using information to make informed choices,” a McDonald’s spokeswoman said. “This website provides useful information from respected third-parties about many topics, among them health and wellness.”

But the site also came under fire from some of its franchisees, who own and operate about 90 percent of the chain’s 14,100 US locations.

On Christmas Eve, McDonald’s quietly bailed out on McResource. It notified franchisees and executives in a memo:

“Unfortunately, as you may have seen in the news over the past few days and weeks, a number of stories have scrutinized some content and advice found on the well-intended website,” said.

On Thursday McDonald’s issued a statement confirming the decision.

“A combination of factors has led us to re-evaluate” the site,” it said.

“Between links to irrelevant or outdated information, along with outside groups taking elements out of context, this created unwarranted scrutiny and inappropriate commentary,” the statement added. “None of this helps our McDonald’s team members.”

McDonald’s said it would continue an internal telephone help line to provide advice to employees.